Dubai, 25th October, 2009: Dubai has won the bid to host the International Diabetes Federation's 21st World Diabetes Congress that will take place in December 2011.
The prestigious congress is a platform where the global healthcare community and diabetes stakeholders join hands to tackle the pandemic which has now become a global healthcare burden.
His Excellency Qadhi Saeed Al Murooshid, Director General of the Dubai Health Authority represented the Emirate of Dubai at the 20th World Diabetes Congress which took place in Montreal, Canada from the 18th to the 22nd of October.
His Excellency Al Murooshid said, "We are proud to host this congress in Dubai. I assure you that Dubai will provide all its support to battle this disease both in terms of building medical facilities and conducting awareness initiatives to tackle this pandemic.
"We recognize the urgency in dealing with diabetes and are aware that the fight against diabetes requires a multi-disciplinary approach and involves prevention, education and lifestyle management. It is a disease that can be combated effectively only when the global community joins hands and we are proud to host this congress in Dubai because it provides a platform where international experts can share state-of-the-art knowledge to combat this condition."
His Excellency Al Murooshid said that over the past few years healthcare in Dubai has seen a tremendous growth and this has been possible because of the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Rule of Dubai who has given significant important to the health sector in the Dubai strategic plan 2015.
His Excellency Al Murooshid said that Dubai is aware of the positive impact that the World Diabetes Congress has in initiating global initiatives to combat the disease. In 2006, the 'Unite for Diabetes' global initiative was a result of the World Diabetes Congress in 2006 that took place in South Africa.
The congress has been instrumental in channelizing and brining together healthcare professionals from around the world to work together to tackle the disease.
His Excellency said that the DHA is aware of the importance of hosting such conferences and over the years Dubai has become a hub for international conferences due to its outlook, world-class infrastructure and strategic location in the Middle East and North Africa( MENA) region.
His Excellency Al Murooshid highlighted that this conference in particular is crucial to creating awareness about a disease which has now reached pandemic proportions globally. "Diabetes, is a serious disease that has many health complications and therefore frontline treatment is required to manage this disease. The number of diabetics and pre-diabetes in this region and globally reflect the magnitude of the problem.
"The opening of the Harvard-Affiliated Joslin Diabetes Center in Dubai, marks its presence in the gulf region, and will provide frontline treatment and training to combat diabetes. While this is a significant step we are aware we have a long way to go to tackle this global pandemic and we are prepared to pledge our support in the fight against diabetes."
Other delegates from the DHA that were present at the conference were Dr Abdulrazzak Ali Almadani, CEO of Dubai Hospital, Ms. Heba Al Shaar, Director of Institutional Marketing and Communications at DHA, Dr Mohammed Fargali, Head of chronic care unit, Primary healthcare, DHA, Dr Fatiyah Al Awadhi, Dr Ghaida Mohamad Kaddaha and Dr Ahmed Hassoun.
The DHA supports and promotes healthcare conferences in Dubai as the DHA firmly believes that conferences lead to a multi-disciplinary exchange of knowledge and information and also help formulate strategic alliances which help improve the healthcare sector.
Some of the conferences organized in Dubai over the last few years are:
Arab health conference, Hospital Build conference, Arab Dental conference, the UAE International Dental Conference, Arab Children's conference amongst others.
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The DHA:
The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) has been empowered to set policy and strategy for health, and to assure the application of that health policy and strategy. The DHA leads an integrated approach across the spectrum of health, anticipating our future needs and being responsive to users. It will stimulate growth and innovation in the health market, ensuring value for money and quality of services through effective regulation.
The new Dubai Health Authority (DHA) structure will ensure that health services are better positioned to meet the demand for better healthcare services in the future. The DHA will work to:
- Provide a Health Strategy for Dubai that will meet the needs of the predicted growth and change in population.
- Ensure Public Health is protected and quality of life improved.
- Ensure partnership between public and private health service providers, bringing together the best international experience to ensure we deliver the best health system possible.
- Achieve international accreditation of healthcare services delivered across the Emirate by ensuring world-class quality and standards of healthcare.
- Ensure effective regulation and licensing across the Dubai Health Sector guaranteeing the quality of health services provided.
- Increase the transparency and accountability of the healthcare system.
- Drive efficiency so that funding is spent on the most effective healthcare for those who need it.
- Improve accessibility to the healthcare system and sustainability for the future.
- Deliver the best training and education opportunities for Dubai healthcare practitioners.
World Diabetes Congress:
- The International Diabetes Federation's 20th WORLD DIABETES CONGRESS in Montréal, Canada, will have more than 12.000 delegates and over 400 speakers
- Over 20,000 delegates are expected to attend the 21st World Diabetes Congress which will take place in the UAE, Dubai city, in December 2011.
- The venue of the 20th congress was chosen to be Canada as it is the birthplace of insulin.
- The 19th World Diabetes Congress was held in South Africa in 2006.
Diabetes facts and figures:
- In 2007, it is estimated that 246 million people had diabetes in the adult population in the seven regions of International Diabetes Federation. In 2003, the total was 194 million. By 2025, the figure is expected to rise to 380 million.
- Type 2 diabetes constitutes about 85% to 95% of all diabetes cases in developed countries and accounts for an even higher percentage in developing countries.
Population ageing
Unhealthy diet
Overweight and obesity
A sedentary lifestyle
© Press Release 2009
